Mpho Maseko: Take risks or you will never know

Mpho Maseko was born in Swaziland and raised by a single mother. She completed her primary education in Swaziland and her secondary education was split between Malawi, Blantyre and Nelspruit. Her higher education started in Durban, then she completed her Bachelor of Business Administration in Johannesburg. Currently she has 14 years of work experience from Customer Services to Human Resources Development.

Ripinde Virtual Admin was founded in 2015 after she resigned from her full time job because of a family influenced decision. In the process of finding her feet she quickly learnt that self belief is the key to growth. Goal setting and time management strategies help her accomplish the things that matter. Most of the time that means redirecting her energies into things that will add value in her life.

What is the most influential factor that has contributed to your company’s success?

The most influential factor that has contributed to Ripinde Virtual Admin’s success is the drive behind the brand. We value success and always strive for excellence in everything we do, no matter how small the tasks may be.

As a virtual admin firm what are the challenges you face as you have to deal with companies that have different ways of doing things?

The challenges we face as a Virtual Admin service provider vary from one client to the next. For example, 80% of our clients are small businesses that range from a one man show to a maximum of 15 employees on payroll.

Understanding and managing people is a very important aspect in this industry. We conduct a profile analysis of each client, and through communication with our clients, we are able to deliver according to each client’s expectations- we do not have a one size fits all service.

Essentially, to get clients requesting some of your services such as bookkeeping and business management there has to be trust. How do you ensure that your firm is trustworthy?

Our four values sit at the heart of everything we do . We respect our business, we value excellence, we are customer-focused and we serve with integrity.

We have a strategic support team ranging from certified payroll administrators, bookkeepers, and business administrators, and they all ensure that we provide quality and professional customer service.

We gain trust from clients through managing and instilling confidence. By taking our clients through the process of explaining how we work and ensuring that we have understood the scope of work. Most of our clients come from referrals and we can only be certain that we are doing a great job.

Do you ever decline client requests?

Yes, we have declined a client request before. We have processes in place to protect our clients and ourselves as the service provider. Unfortunately we do not start work without an agreement in place- signed by both parties. We have had clients before that want us to begin without the correct measures in place, and we have burnt our fingers before and now we know better.

Do you consider yourself a risk taker?

Risk taker? I have learnt that in business you have to take risks or you will never know and if you do not know how do you move forward?

When you launched Ripinde Virtual Admin, you basically gave up on the security of having a full time job to start your business. Did you resign after Ripinde had started?

I resigned and then started my entrepreneurial journey. I love the journey because I get to set my own schedule and make my own rules.

Brave! So was there a backup plan or were you just confident that this was going to work?

I had no back up plan, I had no choice but to make it work.

And moments of doubt, how do you conquer those?

I do not make decisions when in doubt, never. I realised that doubt is not unique to me and that it can be disruptive. So in those moments I accept that I need to relax, distract myself by taking time out to play, talk to myself and seek wisdom from my mentor – my husband.

Why is it important to not sweat the small things in life?

Worrying about things that are not important can take over your life, limit the chances of your success and cause health issues. When I don’t sweat the small stuff I find that I’m more confident to deal with the bigger stuff.

Any entrepreneurial tips on how to avoid a burnout?

Healthy eating & exercise

Always do your best and don’t take anything personal

Establish boundaries – personal and business

Stay true to your boundaries and values

Remind yourself why you started your business, and how far you have come

Manage your time

Change your routine – work from different environments, meet & learn from new people

Be bold and take time off to relax

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve seen or read this week?

I recently learnt that there is a website that enables students to raise funds for their education – crowd funding for students. Its amazing!

Rumbie is pursuing a career in Information Technology. She says being in an industry where the gender ratio isn’t in her favour is an opportunity to prove that IT CAN BE DONE and this has been her mantra. After travelling, she is most passionate about fashion and personal development. If not volunteering, the tech savvy lady can be found scouting around for gastronomic experiences.